COMMENT | Merely amending the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) to make it less restrictive is not enough to empower students, and it cannot be expected to rekindle their involvement in society.

Our universities are experiencing a phenomenon called “academic dehumanisation”, as coined by prominent Muslim scholar Khairuddin Al Juneid.

We need to treat and perceive our students and academicians not just as mere animated tools for capital production but as intellectual, moral, and humane beings who contribute to society’s social needs and transformation.

This problem should be tackled by initiating a social reform in the culture of universities.

This requires robust political will, as universities have undeniably been seamlessly structured and appropriated into corporatised institutions rather than intellectual hubs based on a culture of ideas, critique, and ingenuity.